Philippine president Benigno Aquino has called on the Filipino community living in Malaysia to back his administration‚Äôs fight against corruption and quest for good governance.

Addressing several hundred Filipinos at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, the president, who had arrived earlier in the day on his first visit to Malaysia, also wanted his people to stay united here.

The president outlined his objectives and said he needed the backing of all Filipino people to realise them.

Aquino said he was happy to see the large group of Filipinos living and working in Malaysia to be well-regarded, adding that there were those who also worked in the professional sectors.

The president reserved special praise for the Malaysian government, whom he described as a good neighbour.

He also singled out Malaysia‚Äôs peace initiatives in Mindanao and the help rendered to victims of Haiyan super typhoon last November which killed almost 6,000 people.

Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia J. Eduardo Malaya said Aquino‚Äôs address was motivating and contained a message of hope.

‚ÄúHe was pleased that the (Filipinos) here are well regarded. There are those who work in the oil and gas, teaching profession and as engineers,‚ÄĚ he added.

Malaya said Aquino had also underlined his achievements since taking office in 2010.

Federation of Filipino Associations in Malaysia (FFAM) president Roberto L. Baylocon said Aquino, who spoke in Tagalog, had inspired the gathering by talking about what he had done to elevate the standards of education for Filipino schoolchildren.